Henry smith



(No Model.)

H. SMITH.

RESPIRATOR.

No. 403,966. Patented May 2.8, 1889.

(Fllllllllnl /AH .HIIIHIIIIILIIIIIIIIUHIHIIIAJII UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

HENRY SMITH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO M. L. SEDDENS,OF SAME PLACE.

RE'sPlRAToR.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,966, dated May 28,1889.

Application filed March 20, 1889. Serial No. 303,973. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Respirators, of whichthe following is a specification.

In manufacturing establishments of various kinds and in other places theair becomes filled with minute particles of dust or other deleteriousmatters, which if inhaled into the lungs produce sickness. To preventthe inhalation of these impurities is the object of the presentinvention, which consists in a novel construction of a mask orrespirator to be Worn upon the face, and which is designed to interceptthe dust or other impurities, all as hereinafter more fully set forthand claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View showing how therespirator is applied; Fig. 2, a vertical central sectional View; Fig.3, a rear face view of a portion of the respirator, and Fig. 4 asectional view of the exhaling-chamber.

A indicates the respirator as a whole, provided with straps or bands B,by which it may be readily applied to and detached from the head of thewearer. The main body A is maintained in proper shape by means of afront plate, C, (of sheet metal, hard rubber, or any other suitablematerial and a wire frame, D, the plate and frame being connected by acovering, E, as shown, so as to leave only the rear face of therespirator open. The covering E may be made of silk, rubber, or anyother material which is light and impervious to air. FrameD has arms D Dwhich keep the front plate, C, the proper distance from the said mainframe D, and upon reference to Figs. l and 2 it will be noticed that thesaid frame D has an upward extension, as at D, by means of which therespirator is suspended from the nose, the lower ends of the frame Dbeing left free, as at D ,to form handles, by means of which thelowerportion of the respirator maybe extended or enlarged to receive thechin.

In applying the respirator the extension D is rst placed upon the bridgeof the nose, and then the ends D of the frame D are separated tofacilitate the insertion of the chin between them. The bands or strapsB, passing about the head, prevent the dislodgment of the respirator.

In order to prevent injury to the face, and to render the respirator asnearly air-tight as possible, I provide a thin flexible strip, E', ofrubber, which extends around the rear edge of the respirator for thegreater part of its length, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and pressesiirmly but easily against the face of the wearer.

In the front plate, C, is an opening, into which iits a cylindrical cup,F, having an external circumferential rib, F which, abutting against theinner face of the front plate, C, determines the extent to which theopen end ot' the cup F shall project beyond the plate. The inner end orbottom of the cup F is perforated, as shown in Fig. 2, while its outerend is covered by a perforated cap, F, detachably connected therewith bymeans of a bayonet-joint or in any other suitable manner. Vithin the cupF is placed an absorbent body, F (sponge, cotton, or any other suitablematerial,) which will advisably be saturated with glycerine, and it Willbe seen that, as the only inlet for air is through the cup F, allimpurities will be retained in the absorbent F instead of passing intothe lungs with the air.

Plate C is bent forward at its upper edge, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4,and is provided with one or more (advisably two) exhalingchambers, G,provided with an outwardlyopening valve, G', and removable perforatedcaps G and G, which are detachably secured to the chamber G byabayonet-joint,or in any other suitable manner. Within the chamber G,next to the cap G, may be placed an absorbent, G, which is designed tointercept any impurities which by any possibility might enter during theclosing of the valve.

rlhe chamber G is merely a cylinder open at both ends, soldered orotherwise secured to the plate C, While the valve G and its seat, whichare advisably made of rubber, are inserted within the chamber G, asshown in Fig. 4.

By providing the exhaling-chamber with the removable caps G and G, I amenabled to reduce the cost of manufacture, as they IOO VzoV

'1. In a respirator, the combination, With the i main body, of theinhaling-cup F, provided With a projection, F', and a perforated bottomplate, and a removable vperforated cap, F, applied to the outer end ofthe cup.

2. In a respirator, the combination, with the main body, of anexhaling-chamber, G, provided Wit-h an outwardly-opening valve, G', andremovable perforated caps G and G.

3. In a respirator, the combination, with the front plate having a bentupper end, exhaling chambers'or cups mounted in the bent portion of theplate, and an inhaling-cup mounted in the upright portion.

4.' In combination with a rigid front plate, as C, the Wire frame D,provided with arms D D, to keep the plate C away the proper distance,and also having its ends D D" separated, as shown, and a flexiblecovering.

5. The combination,with the frame D, having separated ends Dl D", of arigid front plate and a flexible cover.

In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twoWitnesses.

HENRY SMITH.

IVitnesses: l

W- B- CHERiNGToN, JoHN J. B RoPHY.

